Overview

Released earlier than usual, no doubt to cash-in on World Cup fever, Winning Eleven 10 could have simply been a shameless minor update to Winning Eleven 9. Fortunately, despite the dated graphics and paucity of new gameplay modes, KCET have packed more than enough gameplay additions to consider Winning Eleven 10 a true sequel and yet another stellar addition to the Winning Eleven series.

Graphics 75

Ahhh, my eyes, my eyes!!!

After playing Xbox360 games in glorious high-definition, and even select PS2 games in 480p, I was definitely not ready to experience the grainy visuals of Winning Eleven 10. With no 16:9 option, nor any 480p setting, the clarity (or lack thereof) of WE 10’s visuals take some getting used to. However, if you still haven’t joined the HD revolution (all three of you) then WE10s resolution is pretty much identical to WE9.

Before you even start the game (where the menu screens are very similar to last year’s edition) you’re subjected to an intro-sequence which is way below par for the Winning Eleven series and probably the worst one ever. It features a lot of FMV of Zico screaming and Nakamura running around - it’s pretty crap.

Once on the pitch the player models are largely the same as in the previous game in the series (JL-WE9). The game’s licensed kits are nice but nothing too spectacular (some shirts are tucked in, some not, etc). The player faces, however, are absolutely phenomenal and wipe the floor with FIFA (even on the Xbox 360) when it comes to likeness. When there are close-ups of players for in-game cut-scenes/goal celebrations, the top players are instantly recognizable by face. In the menu and formation screens you also get to see player faces (along with player info) and they look fantastic.

While KCET dropped the ball with regards to resolution and wide-screen format, they’ve done top job with Winning Eleven 10’s animations with not only many new animations, but also more transitional animations that help make every movement look smooth as silk. Some of the new animations include a lot more off-balance falls and stumbles by players. However, just as impressive are the stumble-recovery animations and there are many instances where it looks like a player will fall but he’ll recover his balance just in time. New fouls and player interaction animations have been added as well as many new passing and shooting animations.

Keepers now perform more one-handed saves as well as punches. It’s also really neat to finally see keepers properly collide with the goalpost and I’ve seen one or two goals where the keeper has dove to stop a shot and smacked his head or shoulder into the post!

The stadia in Winning Eleven 10 include the same selection as Winning Eleven 9: International plus Real’s Santiago Bernabeu and look about the same. While that brings the roster of stadia to the mid 30s which is a far cry from the 60 or so stadiums in J-League Winning Eleven 9. I also find the pitch-textures to be more grainy than those in JL-WE9.

Frame-rate and camera angles are identical to Winning Eleven 9 with no new views that I’ve noticed. I have read some reports of ‘freezing’ that occurs when the ball goes out of play but I’ve yet to experience this myself (not with the retail original nor a Fernando-patched edition).

TV-style presentation has taken a big hit with KCET’s baffling decision to apply a grainy filter to the instant-replays and highlites! Whenever these occur (in game or at the end of a half) the screen resolution takes a further hit and looks even more grainy. I’m not particularly sure what KCET were trying to accomplish with this effect (maybe they wanted to make it look like you were watching the highlight/replay on a jumbotron…wrap your heard around that one), but the end result is that it looks wretched and that’s a damn shame. On the flip-side there are some nice additions such as a birds-eye view of the stadium before certain night matches, and a few new goal celebrations. However, on the whole, the TV-style presentation pales in comparison to FIFA: World Cup 2006 by EA Sports.

Sound 75

As always, Kabira-san is amazing and gets the blood pumping with his excitement and enthusiasm. One addition to Winning Eleven 10 is that of a third pitch-side commentator who chimes in at certain points in the match (usually after fouls and when injury time is added).

The music is an entirely forgettable fare and there are no licensed tracks. Crowd sounds seem to be a lot more in-tune with what’s going on in the match. For example, there are more noticeable jeers when you can’t get the ball out of your half and are under pressure, and the crowd often whistles in injury time. However, there are still far too few team specific chants available which is a real disappointment considering just how much they could add to the game’s atmosphere.

Options 75

First the good; WE 10 features a fantastic new International Challenge mode which is basically a Road to the World Cup 2006 mode where you guide an international team of your choosing through regional qualifying and then through the finals. What’s neat is that each qualifying region features many more teams than were present in previous games. For example, if you chose the United States and try to qualify through CONCACAF you can play AGAINST teams like Guatemala, Canada, and Panama (as well as the teams that were present in previous games like Mexico and Costa Rica).

However, what’s mind numblingly perplexing is that you CANNOT chose to play a qualifying campaign USING these other/extra teams!!!! Yes, you read correctly. So while you could play a UEFA Qualifying campaign and play against Israel in your group – you can never select Israel to be YOUR team in a new campaign!?!?! Confused? You should be. This is one of the most bone-headed things I’ve ever seen in a videogame! And, as far as I can tell, these extra teams are not unlockable. This is the kind of illogical bullshit that I thought disappeared when we left the 16-bit era more than ten years ago. What the hell have KCET been smoking, and more importantly, where can I get some?

Thankfully (at the very least), KCET had the sense to include first-time World Cup qualifiers Togo, T&T, Ivory Coast and Ghana as selectable/playable teams so you CAN control them in qualifying. The other first time World Cup qualifier, Ukraine are present also (as they have been for a few games now).

The Master League returns and is pretty much the exact same format as last year – four 16-team First Divisions and one 8-team Second Division. I’m sorry but this is just garbage. I do like the player development and transfers in the Master League but this format has to go the way of the dinosaur! Sure there are few newer, more polished stats screens but the FIFA series has a had a superb career mode for a few years now and the Master League is palatable solely on the strength of Winning Eleven’s gameplay. Get with the program KCET!

Another hit against the Master League, and a step backwards from J-League Winning Eleven 9, is that your bench in the ML is back to a whopping 11 players. If you remember my JL-WE9 review, I was delighted by the fact that the number of available substitutes in league matches was limited to five players. I absolutely adored this addition because it added another element of strategy to the game as you had to choose carefully which five players you decided to take with you on match day. This also discouraged a Chelsea-like accumulation of 20+ superstar players because you could only have access to a few on match day. Unfortunately, KCET have decided to go back to the 11 subs and it’s yet another reason why the Master League is woefully inferior to FIFA’s career mode.

The available domestic league licenses are the same as in Winning Eleven 9 and that means there’s still no licensed EPL, Bundesliga or Ligue 1. There are also no new domestic divisions nor any J or K-League teams.

The other gameplay modes are the same as in previous years with single seasons for club teams (by league), international tournaments, as well as customizable tournaments and leagues. Training and mini-games are also present.

On a more positive note, the tactical menu screens have been improved with the addition of more automatic tactical settings. Now when you enter the tactics screen you’re given the option of choosing the traditional (manual) tactics screen, or to use a series of on-screen prompts to get the computer to choose a formation that best suits your playing style. Likewise, you can get the computer to choose your best starting line-up based upon fitness and condition arrows. I think this is a neat addition, not so much for the hardcore Winning Eleven fans (who’ll want to have complete control over every aspect of their tactics) but for the casual fans who just want to get in and play.

Since this is a Japanese game I was unable to play online.

Gameplay 95

The previous title in the Winning Eleven series, the aforementioned JL-WE9, was easily the most realistic game in the series. The pace of the game was incredibly realistic and there was a readily apparent global decrease in effective player ratings. With Winning Eleven 10, KCET have not quite done a 180, but definitely moved the overall play towards more action packed and slightly less realistic experience. The end result is a game that, while not quite as cerebral and methodical as JL-WE9, is probably the most fun single-player game for many iterations (though not without its problems).

Changes in WE10 come in the following areas; ball physics, dribbling, AI, free kicks, and the referee. Other (less dramatic) changes include the game speed which has been increased to about the same as WE9:I, and the fatigue model which is less agressive than JLWE9.

Ball physics in WE10 have definitely been improved since last JLWE9. Ricocchets and rebounds are even more realistic, as is the way the ball skips along the ground. When a ball is played into a packed box and not cleared properly there is real chaos with the ball bouncing around with frightening realism.

Long passes are brilliant and crosses can be whipped in with real venom (and modified using R1 and R2). You also notice so much more spin on shots and crosses – in previous games a long pass down the touchline with a player’s instep would travel largely in a straight line. Now, if you have the angles correct (player’s preferred foot, facing down the line), you can pass a ball along the touch-line that curves close to being out but gently curves back in. Not only is does this look really cool when you pass out from defense just around the outstretched foot of an attacking player - it also allows for a more realistic and flowing game from the back.

Shots also have more dip and swerve (depending upon a myriad of factors) and rebounds are a lot more realistic and varied (sometimes the ball travels far while at other times it can bounce just inches away from a goalie and be spinning backwards). I also like the fact that shots on the turn to a weaker foot are much harder to pull off accurately. In WE9 you could run almost parallel to the box, cut inside at speed to a player’s weaker side and get off a shot on target. Now, more often than not, these shots are skied high into the stands!

Long passes are also improved, especially the chipped through pass which has been ‘fixed’ and is again a potent weapon in your offensive arsenal.

Another area where WE10 has been noticeably improved is the dribbling and player movement. The automatic sidestep is GONE! Now, I have to admit I was a fan of the auto-sidestep (probably the ONLY fan of it), but with the newer degrees of freedom when dribbling you rarely see a player perform a perfect 90° turn with the ball so I don’t mind its absence. I played some multiplayer WE10 with my mates a few weeks ago and within 30 seconds of play my friend Jas remarked that everything seemed so much more ‘FLUID’. I think that’s the perfect word to describe the dribbling and player movement in WE10 – there seem to be not only more animations between movements, but also more frames with which to control your player. The resulting fluidity of player movement not only makes the game look more realistic but also gives you a degree of control greater than any previous Winning Eleven games.

One great example of the effects of the dribbling/movement occurs when you have a collision between the dribbler and a would-be tackler. In WE9, if the defender initiates contact with the dribbler (i.e. obstruction), you have very little opportunity to move after contact has been made. Now, if your player is able to stay on his feet (depending on factors such as speed, strength and positioning of the players involved) you’re able to actively control the stumble and continue running!

It’s also worth noting that the Super-Cancel is now silky smooth and instantly responsive. Likewise, positioning your players when the ball is in the air is easier than it has ever been resulting in better defending, attacking, and more jockeying for position.

With the new player movements and dribbling are a myriad of new flicks and feints. A few of these are player specific and all are dependant upon player positioning. These flicks can also be implemented when shooting! There are also a bunch of new button combination feints and fakes which add more flash to the dribbling.

There are also improvements on the defensive side of the game, the main being slide tackling. Going to ground is now slightly harder and a player’s lunge for the ball (or leg!) is in less of a direct line as before. Slides are also more often context specific (for example, now if you slide at a ball going out of play your player is more likely to scoop the ball to keep it in play instead of knocking it out).

The third notable change in Winning Eleven 10 is the AI which is very impressive on both sides of the ball. My most memorable moment in WE10 was in my first match (Liverpool vs. Everton, of course);

Alonso played a long cross-field ball, over the midfield, for Cisse to run onto. As Cisse rushes to catch-up to the forward moving ball, Everton’s Hibbert (controlled by the CPU) predictably moves forward to rush at the ball before Cisse gets there. However, after a split second, Hibbert STOPS rushing forward and then BACKPEDDLES to get back into position! Yes, that’s right, the CPU-controlled Hibbert recognized my player was going to get to the ball first and instead of rushing into a lost cause (and being badly out of position), he backed off, waiting for me to get the ball before tackling! How awesome is that?! Defenders are now more aware of positioning and will be more likely to get goal-side of a marker rather than instantly rushing in for a tackle.

On the attacking side of the ball things are even more impressive – the CPU moves the ball excellently and if you play an aggressive defensive style (rush the ball carrier and/or call in an extra man) the CPU will cut you to shreds! The CPU is also a lot smarter when it comes to maintaining position at important times. I’ve had many games when I’ve been trailing late in a match, desperate to gain possession, and the CPU has actively played ‘keep-ball’ - whereas in previous titles the CPU would instantly launch the ball down the field! Good attacking players also follow in shots and guys like RvN are almost always in position to stick in rebounds.

Differences between team playing styles are also readily evident and it is very cool to contrast the playing styles of Barca and a team like Blackburn. Individual playing styles are also incredibly well done, particularly with players who have high dribbling, control and attacking attributes. Messi and Ronaldinho are an absolute nightmare to mark and if you blindly rush them they’ll deke the pants off you!

Things aren’t perfect, the AI still occasionally runs after lost causes (mostly on offense) and isn’t as ruthless in front of net as I’d like, but there’s definitely a marked improvement over the already impressive JLWE9.

Free kicks have also been changed with the ability to take quick free kicks! Now, if you’re fouled and it’s not a serious foul (i.e. no injury or cards) you’re given the option to instantly press L1 and R1 to make the nearest player on your team grab the ball, put it down and then you can control where you want to pass the ball. What I love about this option is that while it initially seems like a gimmick, its something that has definite value when used correctly. For example, if you hoof a ball up to a lone forward and he’s fouled, there’s no sense taking a quick free kick because your forward is the only guy upfront (who’s he going to pass it to?). However, if you’re aware of where players are on the pitch there are some instances where you can spring an instant break or counterattack through quick thinking!

Finally, the biggest improvement in Winning Eleven 10 is with the Collina-esque referee who is, quite simply, the best ref I’ve ever ‘seen’ in a videogame. Advantage is played perfectly with niggling fouls only called if they affect play. Likewise, cards are only given out for suitably bad/dangerous fouls. I was never really critical of the referee in previous Winning Eleven games (I rarely get cards and choose my slide tackles with care), however, even I noticed such a difference in just the flow of a match with a better referee. Major kudos to KCET for perfecting the referee!

Unfortunately, there is one weak-link in Winning Eleven 10’s gameplay that stops the game from achieving true greatness; the goalkeepers. Winning Eleven 10’s keepers definitely have the widest variety of saves and stops of any previous Winning Eleven game. Keepers now make many one handed saves, punch the ball away on crosses more often, and make saves with their feet – it all looks very impressive. Unfortunately, they also give up a disproportionate amount of rebounds! Its not uncommon to see a keeper parry more than half of his shots. Perhaps this is just more noticeable because strikers now follow in shots (ready to pounce on rebounds), and the improved ball physics mean that parried shots don’t always go out of play, but there definitely are more tap-in goals than in any previous game.

Another problem with the keepers is that they’re now not nearly as good at stopping shots from in-close. A lot of this has to do with the fact that goalkeeper line-of-sight is now implemented which means if a keeper’s view is screened he’s far more likely to be beaten on a shot. However, even when in plain view, and in one on one situations, the keepers aren’t nearly as good as they were last year. It is also much easier to dribble around the keeper when you have a breakaway now.

This isn’t too big of a deal against the CPU as the computer defenders are more tactically aware and prevent a lot of breakaways and in-close opportunities. However, multiplayer games are a goal-fest with far too many goals to be realistic. Every match is a shoot out with four or five goals a game very common.

Throw-ins have changed slightly in that you now have a few more seconds to control the pass receiver, but again, only AFTER you’ve thrown the ball! This only marginally mitigates the frustration of not being able to control the pass receiver and I’m still at a loss as to why KCET don’t just go back to allowing players to control the receiver all the time. Another annoyance is the automatic choice of throw-in taker. If I get a throw-in next to the opposition’s penalty area Peter Crouch should NOT be taking it and though you can select who you want to take the throw it’s a pain in the pass to have to go to the menu to do this each time.

These problems aside, Winning Eleven 10’s gameplay is a fantastic evolution of the game engine and the changes in ball physics and AI are very impressive. I’m not optimistic that the goalkeepers will be ‘fixed’ for PES6/WE2007 but hopefully they’ll be able to scrape the butter off their gloves in time for WE10:Final Evolution.

Replay Value 90

The Master League is the same old crap but, as always, it’s the strength of Winning Eleven’s gameplay that creates almost limitless replay value (even in the absence of an online mode that’s playable in North America). The International Challenge/W.C. Qualifying campaign is also a fantastic addition.

Overall 88

The gameplay modes/options may be lacking, the graphics may be (very) dated and the audio mediocre, but once again Winning Eleven 10 shines despite these problems because of the immense strength of its gameplay.

Just when I was in utter awe at the visuals, presentation and audio of FIFA: World Cup 2006, KCET go and prove that, once again, gameplay matters most. This game is a no-brainer for importers, and non-importers will be in for a treat come this fall (or early next year in North America). Just don’t expect it to LOOK as good as it plays.

Roll on Next-Gen Winning Eleven!

Lavan Chandran
7/13/2006

Screenshots from www.ign.com and www.konami.jp